The Kremlin said they did not know where the information came from about the possible exchange of convicts in the United States by Russians Viktor Buta and Konstantin Yaroshenko, as well as the arrested Maria Butina for director Oleg Sentsov, who is serving a term in the colony of Labytnangi. This was told by Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov..

Sentsova wrote about a possible exchange with Novaya Gazeta, citing a source close to the negotiations..

“I don't know where the information came from and what it is based on,” said Peskov..

Earlier, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, also said she did not know about the possibility of such an exchange. Sentsov’s lawyer, Dmitry Dinze, also said that he has no information about the exchange, adding that he considers this option a worker.

The First Vice-Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the Tripartite Contact Group, Irina Gerashchenko, said that she had no information about the alleged talks on the exchange of Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov for the convicted in the US citizens of the Russian Federation Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko.

"Regarding rumors in the media about the alleged negotiations of the Americans and Russians for the release of Sentsov in exchange for Russian crime, we did not hear such information from anyone during the visit to the USA and negotiations with American high-ranking officials. (...) I cannot comment on the information in NG regarding Oleg, because I don’t know anything about it ", she wrote on Facebook.

Gerashchenko assured that Ukraine will continue to work to free the hostages and will fight for the release of all.